scholarly journals A Review of Basic Energy Reconstruction Techniques in Liquid Xenon and Argon Detectors for Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics Using NEST

Instruments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Matthew Szydagis ◽  
Grant A. Block ◽  
Collin Farquhar ◽  
Alexander J. Flesher ◽  
Ekaterina S. Kozlova ◽  
...  

Detectors based upon the noble elements, especially liquid xenon as well as liquid argon, as both single- and dual-phase types, require reconstruction of the energies of interacting particles, both in the field of direct detection of dark matter (weakly interacting massive particles WIMPs, axions, etc.) and in neutrino physics. Experimentalists, as well as theorists who reanalyze/reinterpret experimental data, have used a few different techniques over the past few decades. In this paper, we review techniques based on solely the primary scintillation channel, the ionization or secondary channel available at non-zero drift electric fields, and combined techniques that include a simple linear combination and weighted averages, with a brief discussion of the application of profile likelihood, maximum likelihood, and machine learning. Comparing results for electron recoils (beta and gamma interactions) and nuclear recoils (primarily from neutrons) from the Noble Element Simulation Technique (NEST) simulation to available data, we confirm that combining all available information generates higher-precision means, lower widths (energy resolution), and more symmetric shapes (approximately Gaussian) especially at keV-scale energies, with the symmetry even greater when thresholding is addressed. Near thresholds, bias from upward fluctuations matters. For MeV-GeV scales, if only one channel is utilized, an ionization-only-based energy scale outperforms scintillation; channel combination remains beneficial. We discuss here what major collaborations use.

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (19) ◽  
pp. 3093-3169 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARLOS MUÑOZ

The existence of dark matter was suggested, using simple gravitational arguments, seventy years ago. Although we are now convinced that most of the mass in the Universe is indeed some nonluminous matter, we still do not know its composition. The problem of the dark matter in the Universe is reviewed here. Particle candidates for dark matter are discussed with particular emphasis on Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP's). Experiments searching for these relic particles, carried out by many groups around the world, are also reviewed, paying special attention to their direct detection by observing the elastic scattering on target nuclei through nuclear recoils. Finally, we concentrate on the theoretical models predicting WIMP's, and in particular on supersymmetric extensions of the standard model, where the leading candidate for WIMP, the neutralino, is present. There, we compute the cross-section for the direct detection of neutralinos, and compare it with the sensitivity of detectors. We mainly discuss supergravity, superstring and M theory scenarios.


2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. P10001-P10001 ◽  
Author(s):  
P K Lightfoot ◽  
G J Barker ◽  
K Mavrokoridis ◽  
Y A Ramachers ◽  
N J C Spooner

2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Baxter ◽  
I. M. Bloch ◽  
E. Bodnia ◽  
X. Chen ◽  
J. Conrad ◽  
...  

AbstractThe field of dark matter detection is a highly visible and highly competitive one. In this paper, we propose recommendations for presenting dark matter direct detection results particularly suited for weak-scale dark matter searches, although we believe the spirit of the recommendations can apply more broadly to searches for other dark matter candidates, such as very light dark matter or axions. To translate experimental data into a final published result, direct detection collaborations must make a series of choices in their analysis, ranging from how to model astrophysical parameters to how to make statistical inferences based on observed data. While many collaborations follow a standard set of recommendations in some areas, for example the expected flux of dark matter particles (to a large degree based on a paper from Lewin and Smith in 1995), in other areas, particularly in statistical inference, they have taken different approaches, often from result to result by the same collaboration. We set out a number of recommendations on how to apply the now commonly used Profile Likelihood Ratio method to direct detection data. In addition, updated recommendations for the Standard Halo Model astrophysical parameters and relevant neutrino fluxes are provided. The authors of this note include members of the DAMIC, DarkSide, DARWIN, DEAP, LZ, NEWS-G, PandaX, PICO, SBC, SENSEI, SuperCDMS, and XENON collaborations, and these collaborations provided input to the recommendations laid out here. Wide-spread adoption of these recommendations will make it easier to compare and combine future dark matter results.


2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1414-1422
Author(s):  
YueHuan WEI ◽  
KaiXuan NI

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (30) ◽  
pp. 1830013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhao ◽  
Jianglai Liu

The nature of dark matter is one of the most fundamental scientific unknowns. Particle physicists have spent decades searching for evidence of dark matter particles. The PandaX project is a staged xenon-based dark matter direct detection experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. In this paper, we give an overview of the PandaX experiment, discuss its recent scientific results, and outline the plan for the future.


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